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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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Hollinger Corp. 
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HV 885 
.W3 142 
Copy 1 






BRIEF HISTORY 

OF SOME OF THE INMATES OF THE 

INDUSTRIAL HOME SCHOOL 

OF THE 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



To Ho-. A. M. GANGEWER, 

President Ir\ School. 

More than three hundred children have passed through 
the hands of the Institution, and each child's history is 
peculiar and interesting. Each has some claim of helpless- 
ness or poverty to specially commend it to our care. I have 
seen it stated that more than six hundred little boys have 
been thought to be Charlie Ross. Xow comes the question, 
Who provides for all these waifs ? 

Every thoughtful legislator can see that ment 
of these industrial homes will contribute more to i he gen- 
eral good than any other expenditure. Therefore, we have 
made every effort to get homes in good families for the chil- 
dren, but we wish to keep them until we can send them out ac- 
complished mechanics, with a g\>od cornBaon-scho . 

The children in our school could not possibly have been 
sent to the public schools, or had any advantages for an 
education, unless we had given them a helping hand. They 
would have been beggars and vagrants, and in time become 
inmates of the Reform School, or some penal institution. 
Very proper places for criminals ; but is it not better to 
prevent the necessity for these places than to Jill them ? Is 
it not far better to bring them up to be self-supporting and 
respectable? 



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Our work has always outrun our means, so much so, that 
we have been grateful to have had the opportunity to set 
their feet in the right path, even if we could not keep them 
until they were thoroughly trained and educated. There 
are many boys who would learn trades if they had an oppor- 
tunity to do so, but under the present system of trade unions 
they cannot secure places. Had we the means, we would 
extend our workshops, and enable every boy that wanted it 
to learn some useful trade. 

Mattie, Josephine and Julia Holderby, aged respect- 
ively nine, seven and five, came to us three 3'ears ago last 
November, on the death of their mother, who died of con- 
sumption, in the greatest poverty, brought to her deplorable 
condition by the dissipation and drunkenness of her husband. 

Mr. Holderby was IT. "S. Consul to Scotland at one time, 
and married his wife there, who was a Scotch lady, a Miss 
Jane Thompson, of Aberdeen. 

Later, Mr. Holderby was correspondent for the New York 
;5__during the late war, but fell lower and lower, and 
finally went to the poorhouse, where the children would 
have gone if we had not taken them. The children are 
doing well attending the public school, getting an education. 
Martha wishes to qualify herself for a teacher, and is study- 
ing with that object in view. The father is hanging about, 
and had employment for a short time last year in the public 
gardens. Mattie is now thirteen. 

John Corbett, parents too poor to send him to school, 
came to us, aged thirteen years ; had never learned to read; 
was very ambitious ; learned to read in Third Reader in a 
very short time ; learned a good deal in our shop ; afterwards 
finished his trade with Mr. Fry, a boss carpenter, and has 
been getting regular wages several years. 

Alice Reiley, aged 11. Had no father; mother a drunken 
prostitute, living in a miserable cellar. Alice was nearly 
starved when she first came to us. She attended the school 
and learned very fast ; one of the managers took her into 



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her own family as servant. She was taught, to read and 
sew, and to do housework. She afterwards lived four years, 
until she was married, with the Rev. Mrs. Williams who 
thought her a very valuable and trustworthy servant. She 
married a sober, steady mechanic, and is doing well. She 
probably would have been like her mother but for our in- 
tervention. 

Maria, Julia, Joseph and Edward Gross, children of a 
poor widow. We took them into the day school and the 
the shop. They were with us about a year, when their im- 
provement in health and looks was very manifest. They 
1 ! ied to work, obtained situations, and at last accounts 
doing well. 

Charles Baker, age twelve; mother died and left five 
young children ; his father could not possibly support them 
all ; Charles remained with us four years. It was his busi- 
ness to attend the engine ; this he did so well that the Su- 
perintendent pronounces him new a competent engineer. 
He became a very good boy, and seemed to like his Sunday 
school. All the children seem to take pride in their appear- 
ance, and always to behave and look as well as possible 
when out. 

John Burke, age thirteen. His father died three years 
ago ; his mother was a servant, and unable to obtain a situa- 
tion, unless she could get a place for John. We took him 
and sent him to school; he is a very promising boy; has 
taken a great many prizes at school, and all his teachers 
praise him. His mother died in the poorhouse last Sum- 
mer, (July, 1874,) and he now has no friends in the world 
but us. 

Lizzy Seymour, age eleven ; mother a servant, and had to 
put Lizzy somewhere ; we took her ; her mother was taken 
sick with rheumatism ; was sent to Providence hospital, and 
died there, leaving Lizzy friendless. She was adopted a few 
months ago by a lady without children, in good circum- 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

027 293 665 1 



stances, and they love her as if she was their own. She is 
better off than she probably ever would have been with her 
mother. 

Frank Conway, age twelve. Brought to us by his 
father, who had been a soldier, serving in Mexico under 
General Scott; also all through the late war in the regular 
army, and possessed an honorable discharge. Frank lost 
his mother in Texas while an infant, and his second mother 
when six years of age. He was a bright, good boy. His 
father begged us to take him, and he would gladly pay his 
board if he could get employment, but he was intemperate, 
and fell from a horse a few months after and was killed. 
Through the intervention of one of our officers his remains 
were interred at Soldiers' Home. Frank remained with us 
two years after his father's death, aiid then enlisted as drum- 
mer in the army. 

One boy, Thomas Zeiduldi, was arrested for stealing a 
clothes line. Upon inquiry by the Magistrate it was found 
that he was one of six children his mother, a widow and 
destitute. It appeared he had some idea that he could sell 
the clothes line to get them something to eat. He was sent 
to us ; we took the other children, found places for the older 
children, helped the mother to a situation, and aided the 
whole family. Thomas stayed with us a year, attending 
school, and working in the. shop alternately, and was bright 
and obedient, and showed a good disposition every way. 
We secured for him a situation in Baltimore, and I have no 
doubt he is doing well, — better off than if he had been sent 
to a penal institute until he was twenty-one. 

These histories are but an average of hundreds. Many 
cases come crowding to mind as I finish writing. We 
are very poor, but every day I see a dozen or more trudging 
by to school, and T thank God that I am allowed to do even 
so much to help humanity onward and upward. 

Mrs. H. W. BLACKFORD. 
Georgetown, D. C, Feb'y 17, 1875. 



